AcceleratedSAP

Determine and Document SAP BW Design

Table of Contents

Table of Contents
..................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Determine and Document BW Design ..................................................................................................... 2
Purpose............................................................................................................................................. 2
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 2
Result................................................................................................................................................ 2
Conduct BW Design Workshop................................................................................................................ 3
Use.................................................................................................................................................... 3
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 3
Procedure.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Result................................................................................................................................................ 4
Check BW Scope Design Against BW Enterprise Structures................................................................5
Use.................................................................................................................................................... 5
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 5
Procedure.......................................................................................................................................... 5
Result................................................................................................................................................ 5
Create BW Design Document (First Version).......................................................................................... 6
Use.................................................................................................................................................... 6
Prerequisites...................................................................................................................................... 6
Procedure.......................................................................................................................................... 6
Result................................................................................................................................................ 6

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved

AcceleratedSAP
Determine and Document BW Design
Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to get a clear picture of the general structures and procedures in BW which
are needed to cover the scope requirements. This encompasses the following:

InfoCubes

Dimensions of the InfoCubes

Characteristics of the dimensions

Basis key figures of the InfoCube fact table

Master tables, text tables, and external hierarchies

Meaningful MultiCube scenarios

ODS objects for reporting

Data flow from the source systems to the data targets (InfoCubes/ODS objects)

Definition of non-SAP DataSources (record structure)

Enhancements of SAP DataSources, if needed

General mapping and data cleansing descriptions (for transfer rules)

Data enrichment during load (for update rules)

Data validations (Check input from source system before further processing.)

Load aspects (Scheduling, job networks, etc.)

Performance aspects

The use of Business Content is a decisive factor to determine the amount of work in this activity.
For Business Content objects, the documentation from Business Content should be used.
The output of this activity is the basis for the detailed elaboration of each BW meta object done within the
following activities.

Prerequisites

Result from Business Content check

Logical data model

Result
The output of this activity is a first version of the BW design document.

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved

AcceleratedSAP
Conduct BW Design Workshop
Use
Within the activity, this task is most important. Bringing all project members together, the overall goal of
this workshop is to describe a valid BW design which comprises:

Data model

Data flow
The data flow is described from the source systems to the data targets.

Load procedures

The workshop sets the foundation for the detailed determination and documentation of the BW design
and procedures.
The workshop should be attended by the project team members, depending on the level of detail of the
analysis done up to now.
A top-down approach (path from reporting structures to source systems) is probably the best way to get a
valid BW design. It offers you the possibility to start the workshop with more end-user-oriented team
members, and finish with more IT-oriented members.

Prerequisites

Business Content Check analysis results

Logical data model

Procedure
1. Determine a valid BW data model.
The proceeding differs depending on the degree and level of Business Content (BCT) use:

High degree and high level of BCT objects use, i.e. use of InfoCubes and higher-level BCT
objects, such as queries
It is a good idea to show a BCT prototype as a starting point. You compare it with the logical data
model and discuss how to handle gaps, if there are any.

Lower level of BCT objects use for all other scenarios

You need to transfer the logical model to a valid BW data model for reporting (InfoCubes, ODS
objects for reporting, MultiCube scenarios, etc.).
OLAP scenario
If the goal is a multi-dimensional analysis scenario, this transfer is described in detail in the
accelerator Multi-Dimensional Modeling with BW.
Basically it is easy to create a BW data model from the logical model.
In the logical model, the performance indicators (key figures) are located in the center, and
different business entities with their attributes are assigned to them.
The CPIs become key figures (facts) of an InfoCube fact table, and the business entities have to
be grouped logically into dimensions.

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved

AcceleratedSAP
The members of a logical dimension have to be separated into characteristics which become
members of an InfoCube dimension table, and attributes which become members of a
characteristic master table or external hierarchy.
Where you locate attributes is decisive for the later reporting facilities (slowly changing
dimensions)! For details, read the above-mentioned accelerator.
Decisions about the InfoCube granularity have to be made.
Single-record reporting and/or volatile data scenario
Think about using ODS objects.

Facilitated workshops are good devices to manage the data design task in particular. The
information can be gathered most effectively by using post-its or flip charts, or by creating
the BW model live directly from the logical model by means of a tool like VISIO.

For documentation purposes, you can use any modeling tool, such as VISIO.

2. Decide about the data flow.

o

Extractor requirements

DataSources

Data validation

Mapping and cleansing (transfer rules)

Data enrichment (update rules)

Use of ODS objects to keep integrated data as DWH foundation

3. Decide about the data load procedures.

o

Scheduling

Job networks

4. Consider the performance aspects.

o

Initial aggregates

Partitioning

Result
The result of the workshop is a first version of the BW design document.

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved

AcceleratedSAP
Check BW Scope Design Against BW Enterprise Structures
Use
One result of the Design workshop is the usage of master data. Consistent master data is an important
factor for integrated reporting. As definitions of master data may already exist, you have to check whether
your work has already been done, or whether your master data requirements (structure and load) match
the existing definition.
For transaction data, you have to determine whether the data is already loaded by existing BW
applications.

Prerequisites
BW Design workshop

Procedure

Check existing InfoObject definitions.

o

Attributes

External hierarchies

Texts

Check transfer rules (global and local) for these InfoObjects.

Check PSA and ODS Objects.

Result
The result should be documented in the BW Design Document.

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved

AcceleratedSAP
Create BW Design Document (First Version)
Use
The first version of the BW design document guides most subsequent BW configuration. It contains all
information necessary to define all BW meta objects needed. Therefore the quality of this document is
very important.
Subsequent tasks will augment and enhance the BW design document.

Prerequisites

BW design workshop completed

BW scope design completed

Procedure
Compile and document the results of the BW design workshop and the BW scope design tasks into a
formal BW design document.

Result
BW design document (first version)

Copyright 2002 SAP AG. All rights reserved